#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: francis@gribb.hsr.no (Wilhelmsen, Lee F.)
The Grave
by Don McLean
Taken from the album "American Pie" by Don McLean
24 February 1995
This song isn't too hard to play I think. A nice combination of fingerpicking
and strumming. Listen to album "American Pie" otherwise you haven't a chance.
Comments and corrections are always welcome. The lyrics follow after the TAB.
Good luck
Lee Francis
The Grave (Don McLean)
Intro:
C E7
e|-1p0-----------0-------------------------0-------------------------------0--|
b|------3-----------3--------------0h1--3-----3-------0-----------------3-----|
g|---------2-----------2--------0----------------0h2-----2-----------1--------|
D|------------0--------------2------------------------------------0-----------|
A|------------------------3------------------------------------2--------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------0-----------------|
Verse:
When the wars of our nation... A man barely...
Am G C B E
e|--------------------------------3------------------------------------------------|
b|----------1--1/3\1-p0--------------0/1\0-----------------------------------------|
g|-------2-----2/4\2-p0--------0----- 0/2\0--2--------0-----------0-----1-------|
D|----2---------------------0---------------------2-----------0--------2-----------|
A|-0-------------------------------------------3-----------2-----------------------|
E|-----------------------3------------------------------------------0--------------|
Proud of the trust... nation. He's gone.
Am G C E A
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
g|-------0--------0--------0--------1-----------------------------------------|
D|----2--------0--------2-----------2-----------------------------------------|
A|-0-----------------3-----------2------------------0-------------------------|
E|----------3-----------------0-----------------------------------------------|
But eternity knows... And it knows what we've done.
E7
e|------1p0-----0h1-----------------------1-----3----5--------------------0---|
b|-----------3----------------------------3-----5----6-----------------3------|
g|------------------------------------------------------------------1---------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------0------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------2---------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------0------------------|
[Strumming part begins]
And the rain fell like pearls on the leaves of the flowers.
Am Bm/A D? E7
e|---------0--------------0-------------0-------------0-----------------------|
b|-strum---1--------------3-------------0-------------3-----------------------|
g|---------2--------------4-------------7-------------1------ Repeat this ----|
D|---------2--------------4-------------7-------------0------ sentence 3 ----|
A|---------0--------------0-------------5-------------2------ times ----|
E|----------------------------------------------------0-----------------------|
.
.
As he held to his rifle and prayed not to die.
C Dm E7
e|--------0---------------------5-------------0-------------------------------|
b|-strum--1---------------------6-------------3-------------------------------|
g|--------0---------------------7-------------1-------------------------------|
D|--------2---------------------7-------------0-------------------------------|
A|--------3---------------------5-------------2-------------------------------|
E|--------3-----------------------------------0-------------------------------|
But the silence of night was shattered by fire.
Dm Am Asus2...Am...
e|----------1-----------------0----------------------0--0--0------------------|
b|-strum----3-----------------1----------------------0--1--0------------------|
g|----------2-----------------2----------------------2--2--2- Repeat this ----|
D|----------0-----------------2----------------------2--2--2- sentence 3 ----|
A|----------------------------0----------------------0--0--0- times ----|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
.
.
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/d/don_mclean/the_grave_tab.html ]
In a morgue of marines alone standing there.
C Dm E7
e|--------0----------------5--------------0-----------------------------------|
b|-strum--1----------------6--------------3-----------------------------------|
g|--------0----------------7--------------1-----------------------------------|
D|--------2----------------7--------------0-----------------------------------|
A|--------3----------------5--------------2-----------------------------------|
E|--------3-------------------------------0-----------------------------------|
He crouched ever lower, ever lower of fear.
F Am
e|--------1----------------------------------0--------------------------------|
b|-strum--1----------------------------------1--------------------------------|
g|--------2----------------------------------2--------------- Repeat this ----|
D|--------3----------------------------------2--------------- sentence 3 ----|
A|--------3----------------------------------0--------------- times ----|
E|--------1-------------------------------------------------------------------|
.
.
I'll cover myself - I know I'm not brave! The earth, the earth
F E7 C Dm
e|--------1-----------------------------0-------------------0-----------------|
b|-strum--1-----------------------------3-------------------1----------6------|
g|--------2-----------------------------1-------------------0----------7------|
D|--------3-----------------------------0-------------------2----------7------|
A|--------3-----------------------------2-------------------3----------5------|
E|--------1-----------------------------0-------------------3-----------------|
The earth is my grave.
E7
e|-------0--------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|-------3--------------------------------------------------------------------|
g|-------1--------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------0--------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------2--------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------0--------------------------------------------------------------------|
[Strumming part ends]
Solo:
(Hint: Barre in 5 position, beware of tricky rythme)
Am7 G
e|--5--5--5--------------5--7-----5--------5--5--3----------------------------|
b|--------------------5-----------------------------------0--1-----0----------|
g|-----------------5-----------------5-----------------0--------0-----0h2-----|
D|--------------5--------------5--------------------0--------2-----0----------|
A|-----------7----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------5-----------------5-----------5-------\3----------------------------|
C
e|--3-----------3--3--5-----3--------------------3--------------0-----0--0----|
b|-----------1--------------------6-----6-----6-----6-----6-------------------|
g|--------0--------------0-----3-----3--3--3-----------3-----3-----0----------|
D|-----2--------------5-----------------0-------------------------------------|
A|--3-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E7
e|--0---------------3-----1-----0--0-------------0-----------------------0----|
b|--1------------1-----------------1----3-----------3-----0-----------0-------|
g|--2---------2--------2-----2-----2-------2-----------2--1--------1----------|
D|--3------3-----------------------3----------3-----------2-----2-------------|
A|--0---0--------------------------0------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------0----------------|
[Repeat 1st verse picking pattern]
Lyrics:
The Grave (Don McLean)
[Without guitar]
The grave that they dug him had flowers
Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colours
And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone
He's gone
[Intro - guitar]
When the wars of our nation did beckon
A man barely twenty did answer the calling
Proud of the trust that he placed in our nation
He's gone
But eternity knows him
And it knows what we've done
[Strumming begins]
And the rain fell like pearls on the leaves of the flowers
Leaving brown muddy clay where the earth had been dry
And deep in the trench he waited for hours
As held to his rifle and prayed not to die
But the silence of night was shattered by fire
As guns and grenades blasted sharp through the air
One after another his comrades were slaughtered
In a morgue of marines, alone standing there
He crouched ever lower, ever lower of fear
They can't let me die, they can't let me die here
I'll cover myself with the mud and the earth
I'll cover myself, I know I'm not brave!
The earth, the earth, the earth is my grave
[Solo]
The grave that they dug him had flowers
Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colours
And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone
He's gone
Lyrics & guitar transcribed by:
Lee Francis Wilhelmsen
Erlevn 4, Lye
4340 Bryne
Norway
francis@GRIBB.hsr.no
francis@hsr.no
19(C)95
